The Other Maine

The Other Maine

INTERVIEW | Julia Hiltonsmith: The island that fights back

Sears Island as a case study for Maine's fraught relationship with development

Emily Burnham's avatar
Emily Burnham
Jun 02, 2026
∙ Paid

For decades, people have wanted to build something big and industrial on Sears Island - a.k.a. wahsumkik in the Penobscot language - in my hometown of Searsport. Gov. Angus King wanted to build a container port there. Gov. John Baldacci proposed a liquid natural gas terminal on the island. Most recently, Gov. Janet Mills announced plans to build an offs…

Keep reading with a 7-day free trial

Subscribe to The Other Maine to keep reading this post and get 7 days of free access to the full post archives.

Already a paid subscriber? Sign in
© 2026 Emily Burnham · Privacy ∙ Terms ∙ Collection notice
Start your SubstackGet the app
Substack is the home for great culture